Hidden Secrets

by Jannine Gallant

  “The comic books you mentioned, a letter opener, some rocks, and several Playboy magazines.”

  “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t share that piece of information.”

  Somehow, Paige doubted the existence of a nudie magazine would harm his reputation in legal circles. “I don’t gossip about my clients, Mr. Copeland.”

  “Good to know. My schedule is packed right now, but I’ll be by to pick up my stuff within the next few days.”

  “I’ll keep everything safe for you until then. Have a nice day.”

  He hung up without responding.

  She furrowed her fingers deeper into Leo’s fur. “Some people are born jerks. I bet he doesn’t pull any punches in the courtroom, either.”

  Paige went back to work. It was nearing closing time, and Mindy had already left, when her cell rang. A quick look at the display made her smile before she answered. “Hey, Quentin.”

  “I owe you dinner. Are you and Leo busy tonight?”

  Her smile broadened. “I did promise him a walk. The only one he’s had so far today was around the parking lot to do his thing.”

  “We could go for a hike in the woods before dinner and eat a little later. I’ve been at the restaurant all day, so I’m not planning a fancy meal. Ribs and coleslaw.”

  Paige’s stomach growled just thinking about it. “We’ll be over shortly.”

  “I’ll find a couple of flashlights. See you soon.”

  She set down her cell and glanced over at the dog. “Did you hear that? We have a date to eat ribs. I wonder if I can give you a bone.”

  Leo thumped his tail on the wood floor.

  “Let’s wrap this up and get out of here.” She carried the last of her recent purchases out to the main room to display, including a few china cups with cracks she’d repaired and the freshly glued wooden plunger from the butter churn. Once she’d arranged everything, she locked the doors and took the bank deposit upstairs with her, only to realize her new dog hadn’t followed. Turning, she shouted, “Leo, come here, boy.”

  After a few moments, he plodded up the steps. Giving him a pat on the head, she opened the door and ushered him inside.

  “I’m going to take a quick shower, and then we’ll hit the road.”

  The dog walked over to his bowl and flopped down.

  “Uh, as soon as I feed you.”

  It was pushing seven before she’d made her deposit at the bank and turned into Quentin’s driveway. Even the trip there had taken longer than she expected with the dense fog that had suddenly settled in. After letting Leo out of the van, she strolled up the path to the front door, gave a perfunctory knock, and walked inside. The sweet, spicy scent of barbecue sauce greeted her. “Honey, we’re home,” she called out in a high falsetto.

  Quentin ran down the stairs wearing jeans and a heavy sweatshirt. He handed her one of the flashlights he carried and smiled. “Let’s go walk the dog.”

  “The fog is pretty thick tonight.” She flipped up the hood on her fleece jacket. “I hope we don’t get lost, floundering in the woods.”

  “We have our trusty canine to sniff out the trail home.” He rubbed Leo’s ears. “Ready to go?”

  “Sure.”

  Quentin led the way up the trail at the end of the cul-de-sac, flashing his light into the trees every now and then. “The fog is literally hanging in the branches. It looks a little creepy.”

  Paige shivered. “Don’t say stuff like that. Now I’m expecting a werewolf to leap out onto the path, or maybe an escaped lunatic from an asylum.”

  “Have you given up watching rom-coms for horror flicks?”

  “Are you kidding? I’d never sleep again, but I have an excellent imagination. Apparently my dog does, too. Look at him. I’m not sure who would be protecting whom if we were confronted by a bear . . . or a serial killer.”

  Leo pressed close to her side and whined every now and then. When the bushes at the side of the path rustled, he growled low in his throat.

  Quentin turned. “See, he’s all business when it comes to threats. Even if the culprit is a squirrel.”

  “Let’s hope it was only a squirrel.”

  “Not enough noise to be a mountain lion,” he teased. “You’re a little jumpy this evening.”

  “I guess my nerves are still on edge from the break-in. Thankfully, today was relatively uneventful. Oh, I do need your help to move an armoire, if you don’t mind stopping by Old Things in the morning.”

  “Not at all. Which reminds me—the Hawaiian sling and fishing pole Lucas Goodman gave me are still in your van. I forgot to take them out when we unloaded the other day. I’m planning a fishing theme for one wall when we decorate the restaurant.”

  “In that case, I’ll be sure to snatch up any old poles or reels I come across when I’m buying for the shop.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” Quentin stopped abruptly, and Paige slammed into his back. Turning, he slid an arm around her to steady her. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were following so closely.”

  “Between the dark and the fog, it’s pretty creepy out here tonight.”

  He pulled her in closer to his side. “Isn’t this the area where that psycho woman buried her little girl alive?”

  “Are you trying to freak me out?” Paige’s voice rose. “God, I don’t want to even think about the nightmare Keely and Nina went through. Let’s go back. Leo went to the bathroom in the bushes while we were discussing fishing gear.”

  Quentin tipped her chin up and frowned down at her in the glow from the flashlight. “You really are a nervous wreck. No more ghoulish topics. I promise.”

  “Thank you.”

  He left his arm around her once she’d prodded Leo to get him moving. “So, how do you like your new pet?”

  She let out a sigh. “I’m a total sucker. You know I love him already.”

  “Does that mean the shared custody arrangement is off?”

  “Nice try, but I can use help with walking him, especially during the next couple of weeks before Christmas, when the shop is busier than usual. Oh, and you may have to live here forever since shirking dog duties by going back to Seattle won’t be an option.”

  His quiet laughter was muffled by the fog. “I hadn’t thought about that angle. You’re stuck with me for at least another month or two. After that, we’ll talk.”

  She didn’t really want to think about Quentin leaving, not when she was just getting used to having him around. With her mind occupied, she tripped on a root. Though Quentin grabbed for her, she went down hard.

  “Son of a bitch!” Her right ankle throbbed as she sat up in the dirt and straightened her legs in front of her.

  “Are you okay?”

  When he bent over her, Leo growled.

  “Easy, boy. I’m not going to hurt her.”

  “I twisted my ankle.” Holding onto his arm, Paige pushed to her feet. “Damn it. That’s what I get for not paying attention.” She took a step and winced.

  “I’ve got you.” He swung her up into his arms and glanced over at the still growling dog. “Dude, if you bite me, I’m taking you back to the shelter.”

  “I’m okay, Leo.” When the dog quieted, she hooked an arm around Quentin’s neck. “You don’t have to carry me, but I may need to lean on you.”

  “You don’t weigh much. Just shine the light on the path so I can see where I’m going.”

  “If you say so. Damn. I hope my ankle isn’t sprained.” She clung to him as he maneuvered down the path behind the dog, the warmth emanating from him taking the edge off the damp, chilly air.

  “We’ll check it out once we get home. Ice it and wrap it.” Paige nodded and bumped her nose against his chin. He smelled . . . edible. A hint of spice clung to him that made her think of roasting nuts and pumpkin pie. She wondered if he tasted as good as he smelled. She was willing to bet he did, and the urge to find out—

  “Earth to Paige. I asked if your ankle feels like it’s swelling.”

  Her face he
ated in the dark. “My shoe feels tight. Ugh, I don’t have time to be injured. Mindy has tomorrow off, and I was going to decorate the shop for the holidays.”

  “I’ll come in and help you, but let’s hope any injury is minor.”

  She rested her head against his shoulder and held the light steady as he left the woods and crossed the yard to his house.

  “Can you get the door?”

  She reached down to open it and laughed softly.

  Quentin looked over at her as he followed the dog inside. “What?”

  “I never expected you to be the one to carry me over the threshold.”

  “At least I don’t have to fight through a big, fluffy dress to get to your ankle.”

  “If you were fighting through a big, fluffy dress, my ankle wouldn’t be what you were after.”

  “You’re right about that, but for the time being, let’s concentrate on simply getting your shoe off.” He set her down on the end of the couch and knelt beside her. “Yep, your ankle is a little swollen.”

  Paige winced as he untied her tennis shoe and carefully eased it off her foot. “I can’t believe I was such an idiot.”

  “Give yourself a break. Well, not literally.” He felt her ankle. “How much does it hurt?”

  “About a four on a scale of one to ten. At least I didn’t break it.”

  “It would probably be more like a seven if you’d sprained it. I think it’s just twisted. A little rest and ice should fix you right up.”

  “Thank you, Dr. McDreamy.”

  He swatted her knee as he rose to his feet. “Didn’t they kill him off? I’ll go get you some ice and check on dinner.”

  Paige propped her sock-clad foot and fat ankle on the coffee table and waited for Quentin to return. Since I can’t do a whole hell of a lot else. Frustration simmered. When Leo strolled over and plopped down on the floor beside her, she smiled. His unconditional love was growing on her by leaps and bounds.

  “Here you go.” Quentin draped a bag of ice wrapped in a dish towel across her ankle. “The ribs are done to perfection with the meat falling off the bones. I’ll fix us a couple of plates, and we can eat in here.”

  “As long as we don’t spill on Nina’s couch, we’re good.”

  “Yeah, I don’t want to piss off my landlady and get the boot.”

  He returned a few minutes later with two plates heaped with ribs and coleslaw. Paige forgot about her ankle as her mouth watered in anticipation.

  She took one of the plates from him. “If those ribs taste half as good as they smell, you’d better put them on the menu.”

  “They taste better.” He set his plate on the coffee table. “Guard my ribs while I get you some ibuprofen and a glass of wine. Leo is literally drooling.”

  “I don’t blame him. So am I.” She patted the dog’s head as Quentin left the room. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll save you one.”

  The dog moaned and slobbered on her foot.

  Quentin walked back in carrying two wine goblets he set on the table before handing her a couple of pills. “Maybe you shouldn’t be drinking and popping pain meds.”

  “I doubt the combination of ibuprofen and a single glass of wine will kill me.” Leaning forward, she picked up her glass and swallowed the pills with a gulp of excellent zinfandel. “Yum. Fruity.”

  He sat beside her. “You can always stay over if the combo makes you sleepy. I probably have a spare toothbrush.”

  “Since I wrenched my right ankle, I’m not sure driving home is even an option.” She took a bite from one of the ribs and moaned. “These are so good they’re practically orgasmic.”

  “Should I put that endorsement on the menu?”

  She grinned. “Maybe not.”

  They ate in silence for several minutes before Quentin asked, “How does it feel?”

  “Like I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

  “Your ankle, not your stomach.”

  “A little numb from the ice, but it doesn’t hurt as much as it did.” She licked sauce off her finger before holding out the bone. “Here, Leo.” Surprisingly, he didn’t try to bite her hand in his eagerness to grab the treat. “Good boy.”

  “The two of you have definitely bonded.”

  Paige pushed away the dreadlocks hanging in the dog’s eyes as he chewed with enthusiasm. “We get each other, kind of like the relationship you and I have always shared.” She regarded Quentin steadily. “His arrival has taught me an interesting lesson.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask.”

  “Apparently, you can be replaced . . . by a dog. Who knew?”

  Chapter Nine

  Quentin slid his arm around Paige as she hobbled from the bathroom into the bedroom. His whole body heated as her breast pressed against his side. Minus the bra. Apparently, she’d taken it off, along with the sweater and pants she’d been wearing, after she brushed her teeth. Her current outfit consisted of one of his old college rowing club T-shirts and a pair of underwear. At least he assumed she was wearing underwear . . .

  His grip on her tightened.

  “I’m not going to fall on my face. Actually, my ankle doesn’t feel half-bad. I could have gone home.”

  “And climbed all those stairs to your apartment? I don’t think so.” He released her as they reached his bed, which he hadn’t bothered to make that morning. “Since you’ve taken it easy tonight, I bet your ankle will be nearly back to normal by tomorrow. No reason to push it.”

  “I guess not.” She stretched out her uninjured leg to rub Leo on his belly with her bare toes. After Quentin made it clear Leo wouldn’t be sleeping in his bed, the dog had taken possession of the bedside rug, as close to her as he could get. “I could still crash on the couch.”

  “I don’t mind giving up my bed, even though I’m replaceable.”

  She grinned broadly. With all traces of makeup washed away, she looked about twelve. At least from the neck up. For once, her hair was down, hanging past her shoulders in a pale cloud that brushed against her breasts clad only in his T-shirt, which was thin from years of washing. There was nothing the least bit childlike about her figure.

  He tore his gaze away. “Do you need anything before I turn in?”

  “No.” Reaching out, she grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Sorry about the snarky comment earlier. Leo doesn’t cook me awesome meals, so maybe I’ll keep you around. Thanks for helping me out tonight.”

  “I’ll always be available when you need me. You know that.”

  “Yeah, I guess I do. Right back at you, by the way.” Seeing the vulnerability in her eyes, he took a step forward and sat down beside her. “Is something wrong?”

  “Not wrong, just . . . I don’t know. Ever since you kissed me, I’ve been wondering . . .” A long breath slipped out in the silence. “Forget it. I’m being ridiculous.”

  He slid closer until their thighs touched. “No, you’re not, because I’ve been wondering the same thing. Maybe it’s time to resolve this.”

  Taking her chin in his hand, he kissed her. Slowly. Thoroughly. Pushing any concern about what he might be doing to their relationship to the back of his mind, he simply enjoyed the moment.

  Until she let out a little moan that made him forget he was kissing Paige, his best friend. Instead, he was kissing Paige, a woman who stirred his senses and made him crazy from wanting her. Deepening the kiss, he pushed her onto the bed and threaded his fingers into her hair. His whole body heated as her breasts pressed against him.

  The low growl didn’t penetrate his haze of desire until Paige wrenched her mouth away.

  “Easy, Leo. I’m okay. Lie down.”

  The dog flopped onto the rug with a thump. When he shook his head, suspicious eyes narrowed on Quentin.

  “Don’t even think about it.” Turning his back on the dog, Quentin tried to still his pounding heart with a few even breaths. “What are we doing?”

  “Maybe something we should have done years ago. Instead of worrying about what could go wrong, we sh
ould have focused on what might go right.”

  “Your idea has a lot of merit.” He kissed her again, taking his time, enjoying the taste of her and the little noises she made in the back of her throat. Finally, he raised his head. “You trust me, and I didn’t want to risk hurting you. That’s why I never made a move on you in the past. Not because I didn’t think you’re beautiful and smart and a hell of a lot of fun.”

  “Do you intend to hurt me now?”

  “Of course not, but I can’t seem to stop screwing up relationships. You know that.”

  “Yeah, I do, which is why I’ve been content to be best friends and nothing more. Most of the time.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’m not going to lie to you. Watching you date other women hasn’t always been easy.”

  “You dated other men.”

  “Sure, I did. Some of them were pretty great, but . . .” She slid her hands beneath his shirt, pressing warm palms against his bare skin. “Maybe we’ll discover we click as a couple. Or maybe we’ll realize we never should have left the friend-zone. But if we do this now, at least I won’t keep wondering what could have been, and pushing other guys away because of it.”

  “And I won’t compare every woman I date to you.” He rubbed his thumb across her lips as he stared into determined eyes that held a hint of fear. “I do that, too, you know. After the novelty wears off, I start thinking you’re funnier, or would understand what I mean without me having to explain, or that hanging out with you is infinitely more comfortable.”

  “If we don’t survive as a couple, we’ll go back to being best buds. Promise?”

  He nodded, pretty certain neither of them believed their current friendship would survive a romance gone wrong. But they’d come too far and said too much to turn back now. They had to try. He wanted nothing more than to take his relationship with Paige to the next level. To wake up beside her in the morning. To hold the woman he’d loved for as long as he could remember close to his heart instead of at arm’s length.

  All I have to do is not wreck this.

  He pushed away his concerns along with the T-shirt she wore, inching it across her smooth thighs and above the scrap of pink lace underwear. His breath came in ragged gulps as he drew the soft cotton over her belly until it caught on the fullness of her breasts.